Apii Te Uki Ou has created the Cook Islands’ first sensory space to support students with additional needs. This space has the potential to be shared with other visiting students with inclusive needs, especially children on the autism spectrum.

Te Uki Ou has 11 Inclusive Education students who have an official diagnosis, and a number of students with significant behavioural needs.

School principal Kim Noovao said: “Recognising the importance of providing these students with the right environment, we decided to refurbish an existing space and create a sensory room.”

Key features of the sensory room include its air conditioning, crucial for students with autism who often struggle to regulate their body temperature.

The room’s consistent climate provides a comfortable environment where students can feel at ease.

It is also equipped with swings, offering soothing motion that can help students regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety, and blackout blinds to eliminate visual distractions and reduce sensory overload.

“Before the sensory room’s creation, students who experienced stress or sensory overload often required up to 45 minutes to calm down,” said Noovao.

“Thanks to the thoughtfully designed environment of the sensory room, that time has been dramatically reduced to just five minutes.

“This space now serves as a sanctuary where students can quickly regain their composure and return to their studies in a much more relaxed state.”

Kim Aylward, Te Uki Ou’s newest special education needs coordinator (SENCO), recalls her first tour of the sensory room.

“I was blown away with the space. The sensory room gives our students with differences the space to regulate and reset. It is a safe space for children to retreat, revitalise and re-enter. Our students are able to return to other learning spaces with a fresh sense of calm and clarity. The sensory room enables our amazing support staff a space to engage in sensory experiences that are comfortable for our students. I feel very honoured to be part of such a forward-thinking school that saw a need and made it happen,” shared Aylward.

Inspiration for the room came about two years ago when Noovao was the deputy principal and special educational needs coordinator.

During her tenure as SENCO, she dedicated herself to understanding the sensory needs, diets and spatial requirements of students with autism.

Her in-depth research and commitment to creating a supportive environment led to the development of a sensory room tailored specifically to these needs.

Noovao worked on the sensory room transformative passion project which was completed towards the end of last year, and has since become a cornerstone of the school’s efforts to provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Central to its success was the collaboration of Noovao’s team of 10 teaching assistants (TAs), who played a crucial role in planning the room.

“Their input, from selecting calming colours to choosing equipment that would best serve the students, was instrumental in ensuring that the sensory room truly met the needs of those it was designed to support,” she said.

The realisation of this project was also made possible by the strong support of the school’s board member Lavinia Tama, who championed the application to the Social Impact Fund.

Funding secured through this application allowed for the purchase of specialist flooring and essential resources, ensuring the sensory room was equipped to offer the best possible support for the students.